The Last Man Standing
by jarec
Summary: Its a tragedy when someone dies young, but worse when they live too long


A/N: Eh, what can I say? I'm an eclectic little freak.

The Last Man Standing

He was alone again, naturally. He'd outlived all his enemies, sure but he'd outlived all his friends too. By six decades so far. Sixty long years without his best friends. Oh, he'd made other friends along the way, some of whom were still alive, but never again had he made friends like those again. They'd been more than friends, they'd been his family. And now they were gone.

It was the third day of September, and once again Cyborg climbed into the T-Car and headed off to the cemetery. He never went near the place at any other time, since he hated the vibe the place gave him. Yet, on September the 3rd of every year, no matter what else was going on in his life, he went to visit his old friends.

They were all still together, a line of five neat graves, each with its own monument to the hero who now rested beneath. Cyborg felt his throat tighten as he approached, but he forced a smile onto his features. He couldn't let them see how down he felt.

"Hey guys" he said, in a soft and sad voice "I'm back. Boy the year just flew by, didn't it? I-I brought y'all some new flowers. Got all ya faves! Orchids, lilies, roses… o-only the best for my family, r-right?". With that, he laid the flowers on the bare earth of the graves. He stood a while longer, thinking about how he'd lost his family, bit by bit.

Beast Boy had been the first to die, struck down by his own powers at the age of twenty-eight. To this day no one knew what had caused him to lose control of his shifting abilities. His body had begun to change constantly, all on its own. The whole thing lasted less than two weeks, yet his buddy had been in constant pain, as his body tore itself apart. His body had sprouted tentacles, then wings, then flippers, then gills, then feathers, then scale, all within minutes. Cyborg could still picture the last day of his best friends life- he didn't need his recorder to memorize that horrible moment. Beast Boy and Raven (his wife of two years and lover for more than ten) had discussed all the options, before politely requesting euthanasia- an end to the pain. Robin had been against it at first, but had been argued around.

The doctor had applied a massive dose of Nitrous Oxide, and Garfield Logan had expired at 2:27 PM on January 28th 2021. The laughing gas had been his own idea, because "I wanna go with a big smile on my face and a laugh on my lips". Raven had held him until the very last moment, and even taken a sizable hit of gas herself so her lover could see her laugh and smile one last time.

Raven had never really recovered from her husband's death. Their relationship may have been a bizarre one, but no one could have denied it'd been good for both of them. Beast Boy had become a bit more mature, more responsible. Though he still loved video games, tofu and pranks, he'd learned when to draw the line. Everyone but Cyborg had marveled at how much more capable Beast Boy had seemed- but he'd always known the little grass stain had it in him. Raven, however had truly surprised him, coming out of her shell almost entirely (at least around her friends). Beast Boy had found a cold, emotionless girl and, seemingly overnight, turned her into a warm and loving girl. She listened to Star's Tamaranian poetry, played Mystery Science Theater with the rest of them, and had helped him design the second Tower.

With his death, she'd retreated almost totally into her former persona. Then she'd taken it even further no longer surpressing emotion because she no longer had any. She no longer smiled or laughed or even spoke unless spoken to. Beast boy had been the first person to accept her totally, without fear or reservation or hesitation. He'd drawn her out and made her feel loved for the first time in her life. After his death, her vitality had drained out of her, and it came as no real surprise when they found her dead one morning. She'd OD'd on sleeping pills. Her note said, simply, "Not without him."

Terra had been the next to go, ten years later. He felt his eye tearing up even now, more than a century years later, at the cruel hand fate had dealt his little Rock n' Roller. Oh, she'd escaped the stone prison beneath Jump City, and had even returned to the team. By then Raven and BB were already a couple, which had lead to a brief tension. This had been dispelled when she'd asked HIM out. Him, Cyborg! He'd thought it was some weird joke at first, and had gone along with it just to show what a good sport he was. The joke had turned into a 15 year relationship, lasting into their thirties. They'd never been as close as Raven and BB, nor as lovey-dovey as Robin and Star, but they'd been happy.

It had been the final battle against Slade. The ACTUAL final battle, not one of those 'final showdowns' where the villain 'dies' and then returns three months later. They'd been battling inside an abandoned Chuckee Cheez (don't ask), all four titans against one (presumably geriatric) terrorist. He'd fired a hand laser, and one shot got lucky. Slade had been taken down, but Terra had died on the way to the hospital. He'd mourned her for years, and although he'd never undone the upgrade he'd gotten for her (or as she called it "my plug and play'), he'd never had another lover. He'd gone on dates, to keep his friends from worrying (and once to quell rumors about his sexuality), but they'd never lead anywhere.

He paused for a moment in his recollections to weep. _Damn, girl, I still miss you so much_

Starfire had a much better ending to her story. She'd lived to be nearly sixty-seven, and had died a natural death surrounded by her friends and family. In her life she'd had 3 children, who'd produced 7 grandchildren. She'd brokered an alliance between Earth and Tamaran, changed her planet from a monarchy to a democracy, and kicked major butt for forty-five years. She'd died with a big smile on her face. She'd had the death everyone hopes for, and Cyborg couldn't think of anyone who deserved a happy ending more than the perky alien.

Robin had lived for ten years more, dying sixty years ago to the day. He hadn't changed much over the years, save for his relationship with Starfire. He'd gone from Robin to Nightwing to, with the passing of Bruce Wayne, Batman. But although he'd taken his mentors name, he had never taken his persona. Where Batman had been a ruthless loner, Robin had remained true to his friends and to Starfire by staying friendly and open with them. He'd continued his leadership of the Titans (they'd dropped the Teen part long before- as beast Boy had put it then "there's just something creepy about a bunch of people in their mid-twenties running around in tights and calling themselves teens") and had made the team an enduring phenomena. Even now, the current members were waiting for Cyborg back at the Tower. He'd finally died, much as he'd always wanted to, while fighting for the Earth.

It had been September 3rd 2063, and the planet had been under attack by the Gordanians. Robin- he'd called himself Batman by then, but to those who knew him best he was still Robin- flew the Batwing into the Gordanian motherships engines, destroying the invader's command and effectively ending the war. Cyborg would never know for sure, but he'd just bet that Robin, too, had died with a big smile on his face.

Which left him, Cyborg. The last hundred years or so had left little trace on the cybernetic man. Oh, he'd upgraded his systems when and as he could, but those same systems kept him from aging. In essence, Victor Stone was immortal. So long as no one killed him, he'd live forever.

And, oh god, sometimes it was so very hard to face that prospect.

A/N; another flitter, resulting from an overdose of the Cartoon Network and a case of Writer's Block(tm), while working on Vote Brujah.

I AM working on it, and fie on any naysayers!

No, no one I know died. But for some reason this story came to me, and wouldn't leave me alone until I'd written it out. ANd yes, I'm aware there isnt much on the Titans lives, but then these moments arent about life. WHatever pop psychologistsd might tell you about celebrating your loved ones lives, all you can think about is their deaths.

And, by the by, I think Cyborg/Terra is a great idea. Someone do that.


End file.
